Twilight closed the book she had been reading and threw it on the pile. The lantern beside her was burning low and would soon go out. Fortunately, Celesta’s sun was beginning to spread its light through the sky. After two nights work, the lavender unicorn still hadn’t found anything worth knowing. The pile of books was already towering well above her by the end of the first night. Now it contained almost every book in the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the Royal library, and a few other wings as well. Not one mention of Humans or other worlds in the whole thing. Her search for Leprechauns and Elves had turned up some information, but the pictures and descriptions found in the books had no resemblance to the creature currently living in her library.
The iron door screeched open as Spike entered the room followed closely by an olive Pegasus with a black and white mane.
“Daring Do?” said Twilight sleepily.
“I found out that she was professor of archaeology at Canterlot University,” Spike answered. “She said that she would be happy to answer any questions.”
Twilight turned her attention to the olive mare. “I’m sorry about this Daring, but I have some questions about the latest book.”
“Anything for a fan” said Daring smiling. “though you should know I don’t actually write them myself. You might have more luck talking to my editor.”
“Actually, it’s more of a concept question.” Twilight produced her copy of the book and placed a hoof on the bipedal creature on the cover “I just wanted to know what gave you the inspiration for these creatures.”
Daring became all business when she realised that this wasn’t just another fan service
“Ah, them. The first thing you should know about that is I never actually met one. My writer insisted that it made a better story. Anyway, it was in Zebrica, the local tribes asked for help exploring a ruin they had uncovered. It was only worthy of note because it didn’t match the building style of the area. I could hardly believe what I saw. The whole building was made of granite bricks rather than the local sandstone. When I dated them, I found that they were ancient, at least five thousand years old, and made of the same granite found along the coastline of Equestria. It was clearly a castle or fort of some kind, and it was in good condition too. It was mostly buried under the grassland but almost entirely intact, a few bricks here, a caved in roof there, and a room full of rubble but most importantly the contents had survived the millenniums. Books, tapestries, oil paintings, even the original floor plan for the building. The creatures weren’t named and the tapestries and paintings had faded considerably but I could still make out shapes and outlines, one of the medical books even had descriptions of anatomy and physiology.
The most troubling thing was the armoury. Equestria has not had an official military in well over a thousand years, even so, some of the weapons and blueprints were… barbaric.”
Twilight quickly mulled the information over. She was almost afraid to ask but she had to know “Barbaric how?”
Daring was obviously hoping she wouldn’t be asked but continued anyway
“Most of the devices were weapons of war, it was an armoury after all, and most employed clever designs to perform the intended task. Trebuchets that used counterweights to hurl boulders the size of a pony over a hundred meters, ballista that used a taught ropes and bent wood to launch spears thick as tree trunks, but some had much darker purposes. A device called a rack, designed to pull flank and shoulder out of their sockets. They used crucifixes to nail each other in the sun for weeks and the more I read the darker the devices became. They were not made to kill cleanly. Most weren’t even made for the military, and all of them were meant to hurt others, sometimes just for the sake of it. They used these things on the innocent.”
Daring locked her gaze with Twilights before continuing.
“I have seen a lot of things over the years and I have a strong stomach but…but what it says on the back of the book is true. Some things are best left forgotten.”
Twilight let out the breath she didn’t realise she had been holding. This news was troubling. How could any culture be so obsessed with war and killing? The sun was well into the sky by the time her questions had finished. Daring had left to return to the university for the day’s lessons, leaving Twilight and spike in the library but they both packed in silence. Spike knew that she didn’t like to be disturbed after learning something new. Was Artemis really like that? Celestia didn’t seem to like him. Her whole mood had changed when he had used the word Human. The implications were troubling.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE?” a defining voice sounded with enough force to knock her off her hooves.
“Oh sorry, we did not mean to startle thee”
Princess Luna stood before her, her mane the colour of starlight and midnight.
“Princess,” said Twilight getting back on her hooves as quickly as she was able. “What can I do for you?”
“You didn’t respond to our letter. Celestia was beginning to worry.”
It took Twilight a moment to realise Luna wasn’t speaking in the third person
“Spike, why didn’t you tell me I had been sent a latter?”
“Sorry Twilight,” said the purple dragon while franticly looking through stacks of paper for the missing note. “I was looking for Daring when it arrived. I forgot all about it.”
“It matters not” Luna cut in. “Celestia and I hath both decided thou shall learn more of these creatures. Their culture and beliefs are a priority, though learning about them as individuals is also of interest to us.”
Twilight wasn’t looking forward to some of the possible answers she would get but her excursion to the library had only added more questions, and her thirst for knowledge far outweighed her self-preservation. Even so, Daring’s warning was still fresh in her mind. Some things are best left forgotten.
Artemis sat at the desk, his head resting in his hands. After two nights of study his theory of an alternate reality seemed more and more likely. However, he still didn’t know how it had happened. As far as he could tell, no one from this world had ever crossed into another. He knew that no one from his world had.
The sun was slowly spreading its light through the sky. The dawn of the third day here, at least while conscious.
Holly lay on her bed, her eyes twitching in REM sleep. Suddenly her face twisted into one of pure agony before she sat bold upright breathing heavily.
Holly grabbed desperately at her belt for her neutrino. Her lungs worked like the bellows of a great forge. She franticly tried to stand before feeling the weight of a familiar hand on her brow
“It’s alright, Holly,” Said Artemis. “You’re still in the library, your safe.”
Her forehead and the tips of her ears felt like fire, and her throat like razorblades.
“water.” She croaked weakly.
A large jug rested close by. Artemis helped her to sit so she could drink. Her hands could barely lift the jug alone, but with Artemis’ help she managed to drain half the contents in one sitting.
“How long?” she croaked
“Just under four hours.”
Holly’s hands still trembled as she moved to put the jug down. Even half-empty it was still a little heavy for her. The glass vessel slipped through her fingers and broke into a thousand fragments on the floor.
“D’arvit” she swore loudly
The door opened slowly and the yellow Pegasus tentatively peered through.
“I-I-is everything ok?”
“Sorry…. Fluttercry?” said Holly with a croak
The yellow mare stammered in response in a tone that the others could barely hear. “Yes, I mean no, well almost. Um my names is Fluttershy”
The mare drifted through the air towards Holly and placed a hoof on her forehead.
“Oh my, you’re burning up. I don’t understand how this happened. I gave medicine to fight infection. There is no reason for your temperature to be this high.”
“We had a theory about that, Ms Shy,” said Artemis “sometimes when humans are badly wounded, healing can cause fevers. It’s a way for our bodies to fight infections before they take hold. The problem is The People have relied on magic to heal wounds for so long that healing naturally is a challenge. Holly will need more water to drink, as well as some ice for the fever.”
The Pegasus was all too eager to perform any task that got her away from Artemis. She flapped her wings softly and drifted out the door.
Once she was gone, Artemis turned his attention back to Holly.
“What were you dreaming about this time?” he asked
As soon as he had asked, Holly returned to the nightmare, the small, cramped tube slowly filling with water, the burning radiation spreading through her veins.
“I don’t want to talk about It.,” she said, shutting the images out. “How do humans heal like this?”
“Years of practice. You realise that your dreams don’t mean anything, right? They are part of your fever.”
“I told you, I don’t want to talk about it. Honestly I’m more concerned about you.”
“Me?” Artemis blinked, confused.
“You’ve been awake for three days straight now. You need sleep.”
If Artemis had looked exhausted before, there was no word to describe him now. His eyes were dark with bags that put Holly’s bruises to shame. His skin was much lighter than usual and he was having trouble keeping his balance.
“I can’t sleep.” He protested, “There is too much to do. I still don’t have any answers, not to mention the rest of the books I need to reed and-“
“Artemis. You don’t need to do this. I know what you’re doing. Butler was my friend too but you can’t run yourself into the ground like this. It’s not what he would want.”
“I know Holly,” said the child with a sigh “when I work I don’t have to think about it. My mind is preoccupied on the task at hand, but every time I try to sleep, it’s all I can think about. I know that I will have to face it eventually, but for now I need to be at my best.”
At first holly had thought it was for the best to stop Artemis from thinking about Butler’s death, but she hadn’t realised how he would react. He was obsessed with work, he hadn’t eaten anything for two days and he hadn’t rested since he had learned of Butler’s death.
The canary yellow Pegasus returned with more water and a folded cloth containing ice. As soon as the cloth pressed against Holly’s brow, she started to feel better.
The mare didn’t stay long, just enough to administer the icepack. Once more, she flapped her wings and drifted out the door.
“I’m really worried about Captain Short, Applejack.” Fluttershy said once the door had closed behind her. “Her buries have gotten worse, and this fever isn’t shifting. I don’t know enough about her kind to treat her.”
“I agree,” replied Applejack “an the other ones worryin me too. He’s hardly eaten, and he ain’t slept since arriving. It’s a too like Twilight, makes me uncomfortable.”
“What’s a little too like me?”
The Violet unicorn looked tired herself, but otherwise healthy.
“Twilight, your home” said AJ and Fluttershy in unison “how was Canterlot.” Applejack added, “Did ya find what you were looking for.”
The unicorn gave a huff of frustration as an answer.
“How are they doing anyway?” she asked “Had any problems?”
Fluttershy explained all that happened since Twilight had left, including what Artemis had said about healing. Even with her extensive knowledge of magic, the violet unicorn could not provide answers. She had never even heard of using magic to heal wounds before. Normally magic was used to apply bandages or stitches, but to actually regenerate cuts and bruises had never been done before.
“So, what now?” asked Applejack.
“Celestia and Luna have asked me to learn more about them,” said Twilight “I could use some help with that. I have also been thinking the female seemed to have trouble adjusting to us. If what she has told us so far is true, they come from a world very different from ours. I think we should keep contact with them between us for now. Pinkie can be a bit… overwhelming”
“Pinkie Pie ain’t goin’ to be happy about that Twi. She’s been waitin’ to meet em for days. An Rainbow Dash…”
“What’s wrong Applejack?” asked Fluttershy
AJ meanwhile had turned white as a sheet.
“Oh gosh Twilight, I’m so sorry.”
“AJ, what’s wrong?” the unicorn asked.
“It’s Rainbow Dash. She regained consciousness yesterday, an’ the doc planned on releasin’ her this afternoon. She’s been awful sore about what happened. I thought she might have calmed down by now, but—“
The earth pony never finished the sentence as the door to the library exploded in a flurry of cyan feathers and splinters. Standing in the doorway was the embodiment of fury. The whole building shook as she stepped over the threshold with only three words.
“WHERE ARE THEY?”
Something shook the foundation of the library and shouting could be heard coming from the central chamber. Before either Holly or Artemis could investigate further, the door opened with enough force to take it off its hinges.
In the doorway stood a Pegasus, which was most definitely not Fluttershy. As the dust settled, it caught sight of Holly and Artemis and made a move toward them. Quick as a flash the orange mare blocked its path standing between it and them.
“What the hay is wrong with you Rainbow Dash? Y’all can’t just barge in here an’ tear the place apart. This is Twilights home.”
Visible plumes of smoke seemed vent from the blue Pegasus’s nostrils as it spoke.
“WHATS WRONG WITH ME?” it screamed, “They attacked Twilight and Rarity not to mention both princesses. Why are you defending them?”
“It ain’t like that Dash. It was an accident.”
“And who told you that? They did. They’re lying to you.” The Pegasus jumped clean over Applejack and made a dive at Holly. A purple sphere of light enveloped the elf before the creature could cause any harm. Instead, it crashed headfirst into the sphere, sliding down it with an audible squeak.
Twilight stepped through the empty doorframe, her eyes and horn glowing in the dim morning light.
“Rainbow Dash, under the circumstances I can forgive your rude entry and the destruction of my property, but these two are guests in my home, as are you. If you can’t behave I will have to ask you to leave.”
“You can’t be serious.” Said Rainbow Dash “They put you, me and Rarity in the hospital, and this one” she directed a hoof at Holly “burned my cutie mark clean off.” She turned sideways on and revealed a patch of scorched hair on her flank where the shape of a cloud was just visible.
“I was aiming for the other end” Holly chuckled.
The Pegasus let out an angry whinny “Let’s see how brave you are when Twilight lowers the barrier”
“I didn’t need a magic bubble to knock you out” shot the elf “just name the place and I’ll be happy to introduce you to my foot.”
“Captain, do you think that’s a good idea?” interjected Artemis “you can’t even stand straight. In any case, we too are guests in Ms Sparkles home. And as much as I hate to admit it, we need her cooperation to get back to ours.”
“He’s right” seconded Twilight “we won’t get anywhere by fighting. We need to work together to understand what is going on.”
The Pegasi wasn’t buying it “I don’t believe this. You might have been fooled by this lame story but I won’t be taken in so easy.” She turned on the spot without another word and stormed out of the door.
The awkward silence was only broken when Fluttershy fell off the bookshelf she had climbed for safety with a loud squeak.
“Don’t worry Twi,” said Applejack “I’ll get her.”
“I’m coming with you.” Said the unicorn “we need to bring her back and explain what we know.”
Rainbow Dash hadn’t even made it to the end of the street when AJ and Twilight caught up with her.
“I have nothing to say to you.” She said when they were close enough to talk
“Now wait jus’ a minuet.” Said AJ “I thought you were suppose’ ta be the element of loyalty. Ain’t ya even goin’ to hear us out?”
“No, I’m not. You betrayed the princesses, and me. You made that choice by letting them stay in your home.”
“Who I let in my home is none of your business” Twilight responded. “Princess Celestia ordered me to watch them. Do you think she would ask me to do that if it meant betraying my friends?” the unicorn pulled a scroll from her saddlebag and floated it over to her friend. It took a few seconds for Dash to read the note.
“So you don’t really trust them?” she asked as soon as she had finished.
“Of course we don’t, not completely. I know that they are keeping something from us, but we are keeping secrets of our own. As far as I can tell, they’re even more confused as we are.”
“Not ta mention that we done more wrong to them than they done us.” Finished Applejack
Fortunately, it was still early and the street was deserted. Applejack explained everything that had happened since the creatures had regained consciousness. When Applejack had finished Dash found herself standing in front of the library again with no memory of walking back, only noticing that this time she felt ashamed and humiliated rather than angry.
“okay.” She said, “I will admit that it makes sense. But it you think I forgive them for what they have done you’re wrong. The first hoof out of line and Nopony will have to worry about them anymore.”
“That’s fine.” said Twilight, stepping through the remains of the library door “somepony needs to keep an eye on them while we work. Speaking of which, how have they been Applejack? Anything I should know?”
“Honestly, I’m awful worried ‘bout em,” Said the blond mare. “The pale one ain’t slept since getting here an’ after you left the other one developed a fever. She’s been havin’ nightmares every time she falls asleep, an’ Fluttershy ain’t got a clue how to treat either of ‘em. Learn anything in Canterlot that might help?”
Twilight thought about all she had learned over the past two days. Canterlot library hadn’t turned up any leads about the creatures, and while Daring Do had mentioned medical books, those were probably locked in a museum somewhere or inside Canterlot University. There wasn’t even any proof that the creatures in the next room where the same ones that Daring was talking about. Twilight had left Spike in Canterlot to look over the excavation notes but he wouldn’t return for another few days.
But if the ruins Daring uncovered were in Zebrica...
Twilight decided to keep the details to herself. She didn’t want her friends to panic if it turned out to be true, but there was only one pony left that might be able to provide some answers.
“Zecora might know about some medicine that will work on them,” she said subtly. “We’ll need to wait till nightfall to avoid being seen. That will give me time to observe them. Not to mention get started on my new assignment.” Then maybe I will get some answers.
Twilight felt the familiar surge of energy as she levitated the remains or the door. A subtle twitch of her neck and the pieces flew together and slammed back into the doorframe. The other door was still in one piece. Another twitch and the door settled back on its hinges. Finally, she directed purple auras of light around the books and feathers that littered the floor.
As the last book settled back on its shelf, the door to the antechamber opened and a tall pale figure emerged, supporting the weight of a slightly smaller form.
“My apologies Ms Sparkle,” It said. “I didn’t realise that our presence here would cause you so much trouble.”
Twilight saw the shorter of the creatures lock its eyes with Dash. Its hand reached slowly for a small pouch at its waist, grimacing when it found the pouch empty.
“Don’t worry,” said Dash “Twilight explained what happened, and I’ll be civilised for as long as you are.”
“I suggest a fresh start,” said the pale one “we are trapped in this place for the foreseeable future. I believe it would be best to allow our time here to run smoothly.”
“He’s right Dash,” agreed Twilight “the least you could do is introduce yourself.”
Dash ruffled her feathers at the idea but continued none the less
“My name’s Rainbow Dash. The fastest flyer in Equestria, I’m sure you heard of me.”
“Can’t say that I have,” Said the wounded creature. “I’m Captain Holly Short.”
“Artemis Fowl” said the other.
“Artemis?” blinked Dash. “Isn’t that a girl’s name?”
Captain Short grinned right to the tips of her pointy ears
“Some things never change Arty,” she laughed.
Artemis could tell that today was going to be dreadful. At least the last time a rampaging animal was let loose in my house I got half a ton of gold after
He knew it could only go downhill when the violet unicorn started questions. It wouldn’t usually be a problem, but Artemis was running out of ways to avoid answering the questions with anything meaningful. He still didn’t like the idea of needing these creatures help. None the less, he did and it was best not to offend them.
Worst of all he was board. Holly was sleeping on her bunk and the unicorns incessant questions where keeping him from his work, in this case fixing the W.I.C.S that had shorted out in the rain.
He decided to solve his boredom by playing a game. It was a technique that had gotten him thrown out of the office of every psychiatrist in Europe.
“So what kind of food do humans eat?” it asked. “I know you’re omnivorous but what do you prefer?” “As a species we aren’t fussy.” He replied, scanning the room for anything that could be used in his game. “It varies between different cultures, countries and classes.” The unicorn was clearly intelligent, and not simply for possessing the power of speech. The library was spotless, free of dust and clutter that littered his own study in Fowl Manor. He knew that she was the princess’ personal student. He could only assume that it involved magic though there was no way to be certain.
He noticed that everything in the room had its own place. The shelves had been sorted alphabetically from right to left, and then sorted by order of colour, the globe was placed perfectly centred on its plinth not even a hair out and the piles of paper were perfectly stacked by order of size.
Possible obsessive-compulsive disorder he thought. He absentmindedly nudged one of the paper stacks causing the piles to become a jumbled mess. Without even looking up from her notes, the unicorn sent a purple aura around the stacks shuffling them into their original piles and dropping them back onto the desk in their original place.
Grinning internally, Artemis awaited the next question.
“Tell me about your culture,” asked the unicorn. “Any literature or writers I should know about?”
“Hundreds, I recommend Shakespeare, or Marlow,” said Artemis grabbing a book from the pile he had been reading. “I particularly enjoyed Doctor Faustus. I believe it is a good example of human arrogance.”
A quick glance at the title of the book, the words Equestrian History were written in gold ink. Artemis casually walked to the F shelf and placed the book on the shelf. Once again, the unicorn didn’t even stop writing, but the book began to glow before returning to its rightful place on the next shelf.
An hour later and Artemis had become board of the game. He didn’t know enough about the unicorn’s personality to do something else and it was no fun if she didn’t react. It was about that time that Holly started screaming.
Holly’s skin crawled. She franticly scratched at the arms of her suit, her nails tearing through the rubber and fabric like butter. It was only when Artemis empting the water jug over her head that she became aware of what she was doing. It took her a few minutes to calm herself down and all the while the unicorn Twilight was staring at her nervously.
“Are you alright?” it asked
“Just a bad dream” she responded.
“What was it about? If you don’t mind me asking”
“It’s hard to explain” was about all she could manage.
“Call it a painful memory,” said Artemis
Holly buried her face in her hands. Her skin was still hot to the touch and she was drenched in sweat.
Artemis bought forward a glass of water and a damp cloth. They helped, but only just.
“How often have you been having these dreams?” asked Twilight
“Too often.” She responded frustrated.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” the unicorn asked
“Actually I was going to ask you that.” said Artemis. “Holly can use magic to heal herself, but to generate magic takes a very specific ritual. One I’m not even sure will work in this world. Is there any magic you know that could help?”
The unicorn shook her head
“My magic doesn’t work like that. I can perform basic first aid and spells to perform specific tasks, but healing a wound directly would be too random and uncontrolled. It would make the spell unstable.”
“Very well then I would like you to make arrangements for us to be returned to the hospital.”
“NO. You know we can’t do that Artemis.” Holly protested
“If it were a human hospital, I would agree.” He continued, perhaps more aggressively than he intended. “But we need to get you treated. You may have been kicked harder than we thought.”
“No hospitals,” said Holly in a tone that no one wanted to argue with.
“There may still be something I can do to help,” cut Twilight. “A friend of mine lives outside of town. She knows all about herbs and medicine. You wouldn’t even need to be out of the library for long.”
It took some convincing but eventually Holly buckled. She was exhausted and the fever was making it difficult to think. It was possible that if the unicorn found out about the stasis unit, she would have it destroyed, and as far as Holly knew, it might be their only way home.
Twilight talked them through the plan for leaving. They would need to go at night to avoid being seen so the next few hours would be extremely boring. After a few more questions, mostly pertaining to art and philosophy, the unicorn left to prepare for the journey leaving Artemis and Holly alone.
“You realise that using an acorn would be much easier.” Said Artemis “I could still ask Twilight where we could find a fresh one. I must admit that I am curious to see if the ritual would work here.”
“I’d rather they didn’t know about that just yet.” Holly sighed before adding, “You should get some sleep.”
“I’m fine.”
“No you’re not. When was the last time you acted like this? It was sometime before the artic, wasn’t it.”
Artemis couldn’t help but smile
“You know me too well. I can see you’re not going to let this go. Very well, perhaps you are right. Are you sure we can trust them though. Who knows what kind of person they are taking us to?”
“As is said before, I don’t think they have any malicious intent. Twilight seems to be more interested in knowing about us personally than dissecting us in a lab. We just have to hope that her curiosity remains innocent. As for whoever they are taking us to, I have been stuck in that nightmare for too long. I don’t ever want to go back there.”
All the supplies had been packed for hours now. Not that a journey to Zecora’s house needed much in the way of provisions, but it was better to be sure when travelling into the Everfree Forest, especially at night.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash had opted to remain behind as an escort. AJ might need to carry Holly because of her injuries. Dash on the other hand didn’t want to let the creatures out of her sight for too long. Fluttershy had politely requested to leave when Twilight had told her that she was planning a trip into the Everfree forest.
In the meantime, Twilight was going over the days notes. She almost felt bad how easily the creatures had agreed to go to Zecora’s house but she had been desperate and worried that they would refuse.
The Human was fascinating there was no doubt about it. He had spent over an hour trying to rearrange her library without her noticing and avoiding any questions that she asked. She vaguely wondered what to do next. Perhaps the other one would be more cooperative.
Truth be told, Twilight wanted to learn more about the magic that Holly possessed. It was so unlike anything she was capable of herself. How could magic heal injuries that severe with so much ease?
A few hours later and the sun had almost set sending lances of orange light across the sky. It would probably be safer to leave under the cover of darkness but the last time Twilight had wandered through the Everfree Forest at night, she had been turned to stone and had no desire to repeat the experience.
Twilight opened the door to the antechamber and was surprised to find the Elf sat on her bed reading a strange hexagonal book that certainly was not from one of the shelves.
“Feeling better?” the unicorn asked
“I have been sitting here for hours and only managed six pages,” said Holly “I’m still having trouble concentrating. I hate waiting, why can’t we just teleport again?”
“Given what happened last time, I thought it would be better to walk. That and its impolite to teleport into somepony’s home.”
“I suppose that makes sense. The People had such a problem with fairies using magic to break into Human dwellings we needed a spell to stop them, made Recons job much easier when they removed it though.”
Twilight made a mental note of that before continuing. “We’re almost ready to leave, if you are. I was just coming to wake you but it seems half that job is already done.”
A strange grin spread across Holly’s face, “I was just thinking that this might be the first time I have seen Artemis sleep. I must admit I’m almost surprised that he’s not in a coffin.”
The remark almost sailed clean over Twilights head before she remembered the scary stories she once read as a filly, the pale ponies that slept during the day and hunted the innocent at night. Could this child really be the Human equivalent of those monsters? It certainly helped to explain his behaviour up to this point.
“I almost feel bad waking him,” continued Holly, before launching a violent kick towards Artemis’ cot “rise and shine mud boy, places to be.”
If the human was irritated or angry at his rude awakening, he didn’t show it. “Good evening Captain, Miss Sparkle. Is it time to leave?”
“Yes,” Twilight answered. “bring anything you need with you. We may be out all night”
The cold night air washed over Artemis’ face, filling his lungs and making him shiver. Holly even perked up after a couple of breaths. The air was so fresh, much more than usual, containing none of the carbon, chemicals, or radiation that humans had managed to poison their own with. It was still fairly bright outside, the sun was still visible in the western sky but every window was shuttered and the streets were empty.
Artemis was the last one out of the library. As he turned to close the door he saw that the building was in fact an enormous tree. That explains why the whole building is made of wood, thought Artemis, impressed. I wonder what kind of tree this is. He didn’t have time to ask before the group threatened to leave him behind.
The town looked the similar to any human settlement, other than the abundance of stable doors on every building in sight. The majority of the roofs were thatched and the roads were unpaved, but everything was carefully decorated, kept clean and free of graffiti and vandalism.
“How many of you live here?” asked Holly
“In Ponyville,” Twilight responded, “about a hundred, but technically we fall under Canterlot land so it’s more like a few thousand.”
They moved quickly through the town. Holly wasn’t up to a long walk so she was riding on Applejack’s back. At first Holly had hated the idea, but after the first couple of steeps she relented, and Applejack had insisted she carry her, probably feeling Holly’s current condition was largely her fault. Which, to be fair, it was. She walked along side Artemis while Twilight led the way. The rainbow coloured Pegasus followed closely behind, making sure that Artemis didn’t try any funny business.
It took only a few minutes to reach the edge of the forest. Now that Artemis got a good look at it he understood why the creatures here where so afraid of it. The branches on each tree were stretched to form wispy fingers, some even twisted to form grotesque faces screaming in agony.
“Charming place,” was about the smartest comment Artemis could manage. Did Butler really die in that desolate forest?
“It can’t be as bad as it looks,” Holly reasoned. “Otherwise they wouldn’t have followed us.”
Twilight’s gaze dropped to her hoofs “Actually, if princesses Celestia hadn’t been with them, Applejack and Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have been able to reach you. The animals in the Everfree forest are afraid of Celestia for some reason. That’s why she followed you. She was worried that the storm had teleported somepony into the forest somehow and that they would be attacked.”
“So basically, we lucked out” said Holly “thanks for the help I guess.”
The path through the forest was nothing more than a dirt path. If Artemis’ shoes had been ruined before, they were now beyond repair. Butler had once told him that a child his age should be wearing trainers and jeans. It was at times like this that the child genius wished he had listened. At least that way he wouldn’t have ruined a four hundred dollar suit. The ground was still soaking from the rain. How big was this storm they mentioned? I wonder… Artemis dedicated a considerable amount of his intellect at the problem. He was certain that the weather in his world and this one was not a mere coincidence but he had no idea how he would make sure.
“So about this friend you’re taking me to,” Holly asked Twilight. “Is she a unicorn like you?”
“Well I suppose she could be considered an Earth Pony, like Applejack. She’s a zebra, a very rare species in Equestria. Most of them live in a faraway land. Zecora can have a temper if you get on her bad side, but she is very wise and kind.”
“What about your princess?” asked Artemis “What is she?”
“Some people call them Pegasus Unicorns.” Answered the violet mare “The real word is Alicorn but most ponies don’t use that word anymore.”
Holly let out a long sigh. Artemis could tell that she was still having a hard time adjusting. It was understandable. The People knew so much about the world that was kept hidden from humans. It was almost unheard of for a discovery to change their whole perception of the world. She must be feeling something akin to what Butler and Juliet went through the first time they saw her.
Something screeched off to the left causing Artemis to jump, the Rainbow Pegasus behind fell over clutching her sides laughing at his startled expression.
The whole group stopped in their tracks and waited for her to finish.
“I’ll admit, at first I was worried.” She gasped in between giggles. “After you knocked me out I thought you might be tougher than me. I don’t know what I was so worried about. These guys will be a couple of pushovers.
Once again Holly reached for a weapon that wasn’t there. “No one makes fun of the mud boy but me.” She said before Applejack trotted on taking Holly with her.
“Why’d ya keep callin’ him that?” Asked Applejack
“It’s a long story,” Holly yawned, “if this Zecora can get me back on my feet I’ll tell you all about it.”
“She is insulting me.” Artemis answered.
“Why would she do that?” asked Twilight
“Humans have been responsible for most of the misfortunes that have befallen The People. If a few insults make them feel better I won’t begrudge them.”
By the time they had reached their destination, Artemis’ feet ached and his legs burned. Not for the first time, he pledged to improve his physical health once he returned home.
The house before him was similar to the library, a hollowed out tree complete with windows and a door, but the bark was twisted, warped and covered in vines. A mask hung above the door along with a collection of bottles held up by vines.
“A doctor lives here?” said a somewhat shocked Artemis. “This place can’t be sterilized.”
“Couldn’t find a nicer, sinister tree?” Holly groaned. “Or a more welcome looking mask.”
“Actually, assuming that the zebra here have a culture similar to the Swahili or the Zulu, that mask is to keep bad spirits out a place of healing. It is also to welcome visitors that need treatment.”
“I’m trying to care Artemis I really am, but mostly I’m angry that you convinced me to come to this place.”
“Y’all sure do say zebra funny,” Said Applejack. “it ain’t as bad as it looks. She’s awful handy with potions an’ such.”
Twilight moved to the door to the hut and knocked “I’m sure she will be able to help.”
The door slowly swung inward.
“Zecora, thank goodness your home. This is going to sound crazy but—“
The Unicorns jaw dropped out of fear along with everyone else’s. Before her stood a huge mass of bloodied bandages and fabric that blocked out all the light coming from inside the hut. It stood more than double Twilights height and stared down at the group with an expression of a mixture of confusion and surprise.
"A/N you all know what i'm like by now. again i will ask that anything people find out of character to be mentioned in the comments because it is becoming very hard to do with Artemis. Hope y'all enjoyed"